"There were only two things on my mind, to find food and to not go crazy.” For millions of residents in China, the mandatory lockdown in mid-2022 still lingers like a recurring nightmare. In this episode, CNA correspondent Wei Du traces the steps of people whose lives were upended by China’s zero-COVID policy and who are still grappling with the sudden end of it.

05:40 – Inside the hospitals during the outbreak
08:08 – Life as a COVID-19 swabber
17:47 – Lockdown enforcer

Written and produced by: Wei Du
Co-producer: Andersen Xia
Editors: Crispina Robert and Tiffany Ang
Social Media Editor: Joanne Chan
Sound Designer: Sai Ye Wint

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.